Articles having surfaces capable of spreading water, and thus preventing the formation of water droplets on the surface of the article, are desirable for a variety of uses. In general, fog formation occurs under conditions of high humidity and high temperature or at interfacial boundaries where there is a large temperature and humidity difference.
For example, transparent plastics used in misty or humid environments, such as windows of greenhouses, should avoid the formation of light-reflecting water droplets or fog which reduce light transmission. Also, solar panels, protective eyewear (goggles, face shields, helmets, etc.), ophthalmic lenses, architectural glazings, decorative glass frames, motor vehicle windows and windshields may be detrimentally affected by the formation of a moisture vapor fog on a surface of the article.
A water-spreading surface provided by a hydrophilic coating on these materials helps to maintain their transparency and minimizes undesirable streaking. Hydrophilic coatings which reportedly reduce the tendency for surfaces to “fog up” (i.e., antifogging coatings) are known, including those that incorporate surfactants. A need still exists for a coating composition that will impart hydrophilicity to a substrate surface, wherein such hydrophilic surfaces demonstrate improvement, relative to an uncoated substrate, in at least one of antifogging, antireflective, easy-cleaning, and antistatic properties to a substrate coated therewith.